Gray (most common in British English) or gray (most common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, which literally means “colorless”, as it can be composed of black and white. It is the color of a sky covered in clouds, ash and lead. The first recorded use of gray as a color name in the English language dates back to 700 AD. Gray is the predominant spelling in European and Commonwealth English, while gray was the preferred spelling in American English; both spellings are valid in both varieties of English. Surveys in Europe and North America show that gray is the color most commonly associated with neutrality, conformity, boredom, insecurity, old age, indifference and modesty. Only one percent of respondents chose it as their favorite color.